Having wrapped up our birding in Bahia, we next moved on to Espirito Santo, a state just to the south. We took a coach from the lodging in Porto Seguro to Vitoria, travelling overnight to make the most of our time, where we would hire a car and then attempt to catch up with a few target species in the nearby area over the next few days.
Our first
destination was a small reserve with a well-known hummingbird feeder set up in
the garden, just an hour north of Vitoria. However, we were devastated to learn
that due to the time of year, the feeders were deserted, with the birds off in
the forest feeding on natural flowers. Despite this development, we decided to
visit anyway. And this decision paid off, as we were still able to find our key
target, the delightful Minute Hermit. When we found one I have to say I was a
little disappointed, as I expected the bird to be smaller. This disappointment
was quickly forgotten when we spent an extended period of time watching a
male’s elaborate display to a perched female. He would hover consistently,
before swinging side to side in the air. It kept this up for so long, it must
have been exhausting for him, but amazing for us to witness.
Given how
exhausted we were from the nights travelling, we made our move to our hotel
after lunch, to rest during the afternoon. On the way, we passed a few small
water bodies, and on one Lia spotted a tern hawking. We pulled over and after a
short scan we picked up the bird perched on a semi-submerged fence post. It was
a pleasant surprise to see that it was a Large-billed Tern, which is a new
species for me. We ultimately got to watch two individuals flying around over
the pond before they flew away over the fields. Unbeknownst to us, there was a
large river just over the fields, and when we crossed the bridge with the car,
we had three more Large-billed Terns fly over us.
Estação de Biologia Marinha Augusto Ruschi: Ruddy Ground Dove, Scaled Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Minute Hermit, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Versicolored Emerald, Black Vulture, Roadside Hawk, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, White-barred Piculet, Blond-crested Woodpecker, Sooretama Slaty Antshrike, White-crowned Manakin, Eared Pygmy Tyrant, Ochre-lored Flatbill, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Blue-and-white Swallow, Moustached Wren, Pale-breasted Thrush, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Purple-throated Euphonia, Red-rumped Cacique, Bananaquit,
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